A Liu1, J Xu2. 1. Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Institute of Science and Technology, Yueyang Avenue, Yueyang Tower District, Yueyang City, 414000, Hunan Province, China. 2. Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Yueyang, Yueyang Avenue, Yueyang Tower District, Yueyang City, 414000, Hunan Province, China. 18182009800@126.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Former studies found that circRNAs play an important part in the occurrence of a variety of malignant biological characteristics that are critical for cancer progression. It has been shown that circ_03955 is highly expressed and implicated with quantities of biological processes in solid tumor. However, whether circ_03955 regulates the tumorigenesis and Warburg effect of pancreatic cancer (PC) remains largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level of circ_03955 in PC tissues and cell lines was determined by real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR). Loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays were employed to investigate the biological role of circ_03955 in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and glycolysis. RT-qPCR, western blotting, bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, and in vivo tumorigenicity assay were employed to determine the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: In this study, it was investigated that circ_03955 was up-regulated in PC clinical samples as well as PC cell lines and associated with poor clinical outcomes of PC patients. Functional assays revealed that circ_03955 exerts a certain stimulative effect on the growth of PC cells in vitro and in vivo. Circ_03955 also inhibited apoptosis and promotes Warburg effect in PC cells. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis indicated that circ_03955 acts as a sponge for microRNA (miR)-3662, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1ɑ (HIF-1ɑ) was one of the transcriptional targets of miR-3662. Importantly, genetic promoting of HIF-1ɑ or downregulation of miR-3662 largely compromised circ_03955 depletion mediated tumor-inhibiting effects. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, circ_03955 functions as a tumor promoter through miR-3662/HIF-1α axis, which might provide a novel sight for PC treatment.
OBJECTIVES: Former studies found that circRNAs play an important part in the occurrence of a variety of malignant biological characteristics that are critical for cancer progression. It has been shown that circ_03955 is highly expressed and implicated with quantities of biological processes in solid tumor. However, whether circ_03955 regulates the tumorigenesis and Warburg effect of pancreatic cancer (PC) remains largely unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level of circ_03955 in PC tissues and cell lines was determined by real-time qPCR (RT-qPCR). Loss-of-function and gain-of-function assays were employed to investigate the biological role of circ_03955 in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and glycolysis. RT-qPCR, western blotting, bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, and in vivo tumorigenicity assay were employed to determine the underlying mechanisms. RESULTS: In this study, it was investigated that circ_03955 was up-regulated in PC clinical samples as well as PC cell lines and associated with poor clinical outcomes of PC patients. Functional assays revealed that circ_03955 exerts a certain stimulative effect on the growth of PC cells in vitro and in vivo. Circ_03955 also inhibited apoptosis and promotes Warburg effect in PC cells. Mechanistically, bioinformatics analysis indicated that circ_03955 acts as a sponge for microRNA (miR)-3662, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1ɑ (HIF-1ɑ) was one of the transcriptional targets of miR-3662. Importantly, genetic promoting of HIF-1ɑ or downregulation of miR-3662 largely compromised circ_03955 depletion mediated tumor-inhibiting effects. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, circ_03955 functions as a tumor promoter through miR-3662/HIF-1α axis, which might provide a novel sight for PC treatment.
Authors: Annie Riera Leal; Pablo César Ortiz-Lazareno; Luis Felipe Jave-Suárez; Adrián Ramírez De Arellano; Adriana Aguilar-Lemarroy; Yveth Marlene Ortiz-García; Carlos Alfredo Barrón-Gallardo; Raúl Solís-Martínez; Sonia Luquin De Anda; José Francisco Muñoz-Valle; Ana Laura Pereira-Suárez Journal: Int J Oncol Date: 2019-11-14 Impact factor: 5.650